The Idiot Box
by CaptainMajor
Summary: She brought a box. Inside that box were all the problems. And they were the solution. But the box was the true issue. I have no idea where im going with this. Dont expect tones of updates, but REVIEW. I want to know what you think! Thanks. M for reason...
1. The Box

Basta squinted his eyes at the harsh sun. The sky was purple and hazy, the air was thick and hot in the late afternoon of southern Italy. He muttered to himself as he strolled up and down the streets and ally ways of Capricorn's village. Beads of sweat swelled and dripped down his face and neck. With a groan, Basta unbuttoned the first few buttons on his white shirt. He had a light tan covering his skin, but rosy sunburns flushed on his cheeks and flamed around his fine nose.

Shot gun propped against his shoulder, and hand pressed against his forehead, Basta leaned against a wall, his chest rising and falling rapidly. _Water _he thought, running his tongue over his thin lips. _I could really go for a glass of water. _But of course he wouldn't get one... his shift lasted four more hours. _Four more bloody hours of walking up and down these streets_. The sound of footsteps became audible over Basta's shallow breathing. With a groan, his scrambled to an upright position.

"Basta" came a voice from around the corner.

"Yeah, what do you want?" He waited for the other black jacket to appear. Nabber's tall figure strolled around the corner. Basta smirked. Nabber was a new addition to the black jacket clan. He was a lanky Italian boy. He had closely cropped hair and a boyish grin.

"Capricorn wants you to know that you've been relocated to river patrol." Nabber dabbed his wet forehead with his hand.

"Oh yeah?" Basta smirked. _Perfect! _He picked up his shotgun and began the downhill trek east ward; to the river. As he walked through the sluggish heat, Basta thought of the other black jackets; ones he had befriended. Firstly there was Raven: a bisexual, blond haired asshole. The kid was younger than Basta; in his early twenties. He was thin and strong, and had more of a build than Basta; which envied the older man. He had also gotten on Gar's good side; Gar was well in his thirty's and smoked joints and had sex with women he did not know. Basta enjoyed Gar's wise cracks and stories. But on the most part, Basta kept to himself. The other black jackets did not like the fact that he had Capricorn's ear, and that he, unlike everyone else, had permission to wear a white shirt under his unique jacket.

The river's murky water flowed slowly through the narrow, shallow canal. Basta sat down under the shade of a mature Olive tree and sighed in content. The sun illuminated the water, revealing the little minnows swarming algae. As a kid, Basta loved minnows. While in the Ink world, he spent his time in the shallow end of the lake, diving under the clear water, scooping up fish and rocks in his little hands, and then bobbing the surface, taking in deep lungfuls of fresh lake air. Now, at the age of twenty six, Basta had no hobbies, no girlfriend, and barely any friends. All he had was a nasty temper and bi-polar disorder to match. As he sat on the dry, coarse dirt, Basta removed his black jacket, and finished unbuttoning his shirt, revealing his flat abs and small, light trail of hair disappearing into his pants. He sighed again, and closed his eyes. River patrol was easy; nothing ever happened down on the river bank except sleep, drugs, masturbation and alcohol; but all in small amounts.

Basta began to doze off; sleep Dangled before his eyelids, calling him forward into a dream. _I'm comin' _he thought drowsily. But, shortly after his eyes had closed, the sound of footsteps roused Basta from his sleep.

"Who's there?" He called groggily, fumbling to grab his shotgun. Another rustle. Basta rubbed his eyes, and swept his dark brown hair out of his eyes. There was no response; instead, Basta was struck on the back of the head. "OOF!" He fell face first into the hard dirt. "Who are you?" Snapped the young man, fumbling to his feet. He wheeled around, coming face to face with a woman. "YOU BITCH" he spat.

"That's not nice" her tanned skin crinkled as she smiled.

"What the HELL did you hit me for?"

"I didn't know if you were dangerous or not."

"Dangerous? I'll show you dangerous!" he took a step forward, but the woman grabbed Basta's shotgun. At first he was alarmed, and then he laughed. "You can't shoot that" he chuckled. The woman glared at him then held it in front of his face. "Ok, that's enough." Basta went to take a handful of the woman's hair, but all he got was a fistful of dreadlocks. "EWW" he cried, releasing her promptly. He grabbed her arm instead. With a grunt, Basta hauled her up the river bank, into Capricorn's village. The woman cried and protested all the way through the village. Many other black jackets stopped their patrol and followed Basta towards Capricorn's house.

"She's hot" Basta heard someone say. He nearly gagged in disgust. The lady he was hauling along was not attractive at all! She had dreadlocks, for one, and smelled like a dead dog.

"You get to meet Capricorn" purred Basta, shoving her into Capricorn's mansion. Up the creaky stairs they went, passing in between the plaster hallways, past open windows, and to the bedroom where Capricorn loved to spend hot afternoons. "Capricorn" said Basta, his voice breaking the silence.

"WHAT?"

"I have a special guest for you." Basta yanked on the woman's arm when she tried to escape his grasp.

"Do you now?" The door opened, revealing Capricorn's lanky frame. His short white blond hair seemed to be pressed flatter against his head in the humid heat. "Well, well, what do we have here?" Capricorn grinned in the woman's face. "What's your name?"

"You have been expecting me." The dreadlock lady sneered in Capricorn's face.

"Leave her with me." Said Capricorn, waving Basta away.

"Alright, whatever you say sir."

"Oh, and Basta, you may have the rest of the day off."

"Thank you!" Basta turned to leave, but Capricorn interrupted.

"But Basta, do not torment the maids." Basta rolled his eyes as he walked away. He didn't even like the maids that much anyways...he just needed to do the deed before he got any older...or died. Nobody wanted to die a virgin... except for nuns. And Basta was no nun.

"Hey Basta! Who was that chick?" Gar joined Basta's side.

"Dunno. Found her on the river bank."

"Yeah? Didja do her?"

"What? Her? God, no!" Basta shuddered at the thought. Being a raging germophopbic, Basta had a hard time finding someone to 'do'. Despite his fine good looks and exotic green eyes, nobody wanted Basta either.

"You'll never find anyone." Sneered Gar.

"Ye ye. Shut up." Gar chuckled and put one of his huge hands on Basta's narrow shoulder.

"You have the day off?"

"Ye." Basta tilted his head in a half nod.

"Join Mr. Wink and I. We're going into town." Gar ran a hand through his sandy brown hair. Basta dragged a sigh.

"Maybeeee"

"Awe, Basta...we'll find you a girl."

"You think?" Basta chuckled and twirled a cigarette in his fingers.

"Sure! Why not." Gar stretched his long, muscular arms.

"A brunette?"

"What's with you and brunettes anyways? Blondes are where it's at!"

"But Gar! Blondes are the worst. They're stuck up b-i-t-c-h-es!"

"That's why you get on their good side." Gar winked.

"Sure whatever. Let's find Mr. Wink and get the hell out of here." Basta shook his head and tossed his shotgun at a younger black jacket standing on the corner. "On my doorstep. You hear me?" The kid nodded nervously and scurried off towards Basta's dilapidated house. "If not..."he raised an eyebrow. Gar laughed.

"You prick" he said with a snicker.

"What? It's my gun!" Basta threw his arms up in exasperation.

"Relax man. Hey! Wink! Get over here!" A man standing beside a red car in the parking lot looked up.

"We're leaving?"

"Yeah!" Gar motioned at Basta. "He's coming too."

"Oh great. No chicks tonight." Mr. Wink shook his head in dismay. Basta narrowed his sadly sloped eyes. Mr. Wink was in fact outstandingly attractive. He stood at six feet tall, and had light brown hair, cropped short. His eyes were twinkling grey, his skin a tanned olive. He got more chicks than any of the other black jackets; the maids volunteered themselves for him. Basta never understood that.

"Let's just get going, OK?" He hopped in the passenger seat of the car, and draped his arm on the open window.

"How come you get shotgun?" Snapped Gar.

"Cause." Gar grumbled to himself as he crawled into the backseat.

"Let's go!" Cried Mr. Wink with a grin. He revved the engine, and off they went, speeding along the highway.

"Where are we off to?" Asked Basta once the sun started setting and the nearest town was near.

"Night club" said Mr. Wink with a grin.

"WOOHOO!" Gar hooted from the backseat.

The black jackets pulled into the city, into the parking lot of the nightclub. Women in flashy dresses were strutting into the cement building, where throbbing music was swelling from.

"Are you ready?" Gar hopped out of the car and popped the collar on his jacket. Basta nervously swung open the door and followed his buddies into the club.

The only lights were the strobe and spotlights dotting the dance floor. People danced wildly alone and with each other. Basta wanted to turn and leave. _I don't dance! Or mingle... or anything social! _

"Get your ass up there" snapped Gar, patting Basta on the back. "Find a chick! If you have issues, give me a signal!"

"Can't hear you over the music" muttered Basta, pointing at his ear. "Sorry!" But he heard Gar perfectly fine. He just wanted to be left alone. He left his comrades and squeezed his way through the masses of people dancing to the rave music. He found a girl, sitting at a table by the bar, alone. Basta licked his lips and pushed his way over to the lady. "Hey" he said, tilting his head cockily. The woman looked up at him, a smile appearing on her large, pouty lips.

"Hey."

"You uh, you want to chat?" Basta gulped. The woman raised one of her thick eyebrows.

"Maybe."

"Oh. Uh... ok?" Basta felt his face heat up. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

"Sit." He promptly obeyed, making the chair clatter. The woman laughed, and swished her drink in its glass. "I'm not going to lie. You are smoking hot." The woman grinned devilishly.

"Oh ye?"

"What's your name?"

"Basta." The man stuttered, and avoided eye contact with the woman in front of him.

"Well Basta, my name is Brandy." She winked.

"Brandy? Like...the drink?" The woman laughed.

"Sure. Like the drink. You like your brandy?"

"Ye."

"Want some?"

"Sure thing" Basta grinned hugely, showing all his teeth. Then he made his mistake. "I've never had a girl before."

"Oh." Brandy's expression changed.

"Uh"

"No. That's ok." Brandy got up and left, strutting towards the dance floor. At first his eyebrows raised, then his head hit the table.

"Great" he muttered to himself.

The night dragged on and on along with the music played at the club. Basta checked his watch at one am: time to meet at the car. He scuffed the pavement on the parking lot as he made his way to the red car. Sure enough, Mr. Wink was already there; he had Brandy laid across the hood of the car. His hand was up her dress, between her tanned legs.

"Ah, fuck" muttered Basta, pulling out a cigarette. He always teased himself with the little white sticks; smoke, or no smoke? He usually put the thing back in his jean pocket and pretended it wasn't there, but today he set it between his teeth and lit the end. He took in a deep breath, filling his entire chest with smoke. He nearly coughed before exhaling. _Stupid _he thought to himself. _Not very healthy at all_. But who really gave a damn in the end? Nobody wanted Basta.

"You done there, Wink?" Snapped the young man, taking another drag. Brandy moaned deep in her throat and went for Mr. Wink's belt. "Fuck." Basta wanted to leave, but at the same time this was all too entertaining. _Live porno, here in the Club's parking lot! _Basta couldn't wait for Gar to arrive. Sure enough the man showed up not long before Wink's pants dropped down to his ankles. "Hey Gar, get a load of this!" Basta snatched the whiskey out of Gar's hand and pointed at Brandy and Wink. The black jacket was thrusting madly into Brady, who whimpered and moaned and tugged at Wink's shirt.

"Holy shit! Major score on that one!"

"No kidding. She was mine when we first got here."

"Oh shit really? That was her?"

"Ye"

"Day-um" said Gar, chuckling in his throat. "She's _easy _what did you say to fuck this one up?"

"Doesn't matter. MR. WINK HURRY UP!" Basta hollered at his friend before downing a mouthful of whiskey and dragging on his cigarette.

"Let's just leave" laughed Gar.

"Not a bad idea." Basta muttered to himself as he heard Wink reach his peak. "Has Wink been drinking?"

"More than you."

"Really? Damn. You?"

"Not so much." Gar shrugged. "I'll drive."

"Alright. Shotgun. WINK! Get your bitch off the hood of our car!" Basta's cheeks flushed pink. Despite the fact that Brandy was a filthy ho, Basta felt jealous that his friend was getting laid, for the millionth time, while Basta remained untouched. "So help me god" he said under his breath, climbing into the passenger seat. _Nice view of Brandy's ass _he noted, propping his knees up on the glove box. He downed a sip of whiskey, shook his head and yawned. Gar shuffled into the driver's seat.

"Would it be fucking hilarious or what if I turned on the windshield wipers?" Gar chuckled devilishly to himself.

"Bastard" laughed Basta. "Do it." Gar started the car, which startled Brandy into leaping off the hood of the car. "Rev the engine." Gar revved the engine. Brandy blinked at them from the headlights, and flipped them off. Basta gave her the finger right back. "UP YOURS, BITCH!" He and Gar laughed as Brandy staggered off towards the club. The back door opened, and in spilled Mr. Wink, his face covered in lipstick.

"Hot night?" Said Gar, pulling out of the parking lot.

"You talk like a bitch" snapped Wink, buttoning up his pants.

"You are a fucking jack ass." Laughed Gar. Basta remained silent as the two men bickered and spat the rest of the drive home. He just stared out the front window, watching the black highway slip under the headlights, mile by mile. _Why _he mused, sipping the hot whiskey _why does nobody want to love me? Even for one night. _

When Basta awoke the next morning, he thought of two things. The first being his awful hangover. The second being the mysterious dreadlock woman he met along the river bank. He decided that he would visit Capricorn later in the day and find out about the woman.

With a sigh, Basta leaned against his counter. He was wearing only his black skinny jeans; it was far too hot for a shirt. Even a white button up.

"I really don't want to work today." Basta muttered to himself and put a hand to his aching head. He fished through one of his cupboards for a yellow bottle of pain reliever pills. He threw his head back and swallowed four. Four was too much; Basta being a small man, standing at 5'7, should have taken less, but drugs and alcohol had begun to be a problem.

Basta made his way into the church, where breakfast was held. Tones of black jackets argued and bickered over their plates of bread and stained coffee mugs. Basta took an apple out of a basket and made his way over to the table where he and his friends ate.

``Basta!`` Said Gar, a smile appearing on his face.

``Morning`` muttered the young man, reaching for a mug of coffee.

``Too much to drink last night?"

"Ye"

"When will you learn?" Laughed Gar. "You are an alcoholic, man! You need help!"

"No I don't" hissed Basta. But inside, beneath it all, Basta ached for somebody else to notice. He knew Gar didn't give a shit. "We're all just idiots" he muttered to himself.

Basta nibbled his apple without saying another word to Gar. But after the fruit was finished, Capricorn appeared in the church, the mysterious dreadlock lady beside him.

"THAT'S HER" He hissed to Gar. "That's the one I found by the river!"

"I know." Gar chuckled over his coffee. "You want in her pants?" Basta ignored Gar's comment and got to his feet. He followed Capricorn up to the front of the church.

"Hello Basta" said Capricorn. "Meet Kinje."

"Kinje?"

"She's our newest Black jacket."

"WHAT?"

"That's right" purred Capricorn, putting a hand on Kinje's shoulder.

"A woman?" Basta's voice squeaked boyishly.

"Yes. Now stop asking questions. I am about to explain." And explain he did. Capricorn rattled off about the newest black jacket: Kinje. Basta saw the rest of the black clad men murmur amongst themselves, wondering what the hell a woman named Kinje was doing as a black jacket. When the church fell silent and Kinje was asked to put on her uniform, Basta turned to his master.

"Capricorn! We can't have a woman black jacket!"

"With your accent, Basta, you sound completely ridiculous protesting." Basta raised his eyebrows sky high. _What's wrong with my accent? Nothing is wrong with Scottish/British! _Kinje turned to face them once she was dressed. Basta gulped. She wore black dress pants, black shoes, and a black blazer; which opened around her breasts, showing off her full red D cups. "Welcome" said Capricorn.

"You can't do this" whined Basta, walking along Capricorn's side to the mansion.

"I just did"

"But Capricorn! She's oblivious! And useless with a gun..."

"Who ever said she was using a gun?" Capricorn narrowed his eyes.

"But she's a black jacket"

"She's actually more like... a manager."

"MANAGER? You've hired a WOMAN as a MANAGER?"

"Sure, why not?"

"B-b-b-b-because!" Spat Basta, throwing his arms out in exasperations. "You can't do this!"

"Basta, I don't think you understand. Kinje was sent by our Northern outpost. I've been expecting her."

"Oh really?" Basta's tone changed to one of pure poison.

"She has something very important. Something that we need."

"What might that be?"

"The box."

"Box? A box? You sent some cheap hooker to get bring you a fucking BOX?"

"The box, Basta, is a very important tool used by one of Italy's finest mobs. It holds different locations in it. The black jacket to pull that location from the box must go there and find the person whom we must...exterminate." Capricorn smiled icily.

"Ye, that just made a whole lot of sense." Basta shook his head in frustration. _Box? Box? What fucking box? AHG! _He wanted to cry out, but he kept his anger at bay.

"YOU will be pulling a location from the box tonight."

"What? I'm going away?"

"Yes."

"When do I leave? Tonight."

The church was crowded when Basta walked inside. Everyone was chatting amongst themselves, discussing the mysterious box their master had told them about.

"Basta has arrived" announced Capricorn, a smile on his lips. Basta made his way to the altar, where a strange black box was placed.

"Pick a chip out of the box, Basta." Kinje winked at him. He shot her an icy glare before pulling a cold silver chip from the box. Written in fine red writing was _**Fernie, British Columbia, Canada. **_


	2. World's largest truck!

The snow. Oh the snow. It never stopped. And as if there wasn't enough on the ground, it just came from the thick grey sky. It was ALL white. Basta steered his rental car, white knuckled. He could see all of six feet in front, the blowing snow covering what was visible of the highway.

"Fuuuck" he muttered to himself, shaking his head. His side bangs covered his eyes, but he furiously swept them away. "FUCK!" he literally screamed. Driving in Italy involved no snow. His trip from the Calgary airport had been seriously stressful, Canadian road conditions really testing his crummy little rental car. He would have loved to have avoided Alberta all together, but Calgary was the closest International Airport to Fernie, BC. _WHY Fernie? _He thought furiously. "World class skiing my ass!" His job, according to Capricorn and that accursed Kinje, was to kill a man named Thornton, a competitive crack dealer. "WHY does he want me to whack a fucking Canuck?" Basta gripped the steering wheel as a semi blew past him. "YOU FUCKING JACK ASS SLOW IT DOWN!" Basta felt his eyes threaten to fill with tears. He was completely and totally stressed. He saw a sign that said _**SPARWOOD**_. Another sign: _**World's largest truck! **_"What?" He wanted to crane his neck and see, but he ignored the impulse. "Eyes on the road, old boy" he muttered to himself. "You're not a fucking tourist." But, someone else must have taken their eyes off the road. Basta looked out his window and saw headlights coming straight towards him. "NO!"

"Sir! Sir! Are you alright?" A voice... then a whoosh. Of a car?

"Huh?"

"HE'S AWAKE! BENOIT! BENOIT HE'S AWAKE!"

"Ye ye" He opened his eyes, but vomit spilled from his mouth. "Why the fuck am I upside down?"

"Sir, you were in a car accident."

"What? Fuck, where am I?"

"Let us help you out of the car." Basta didn't have time to protest. Hands groped over his body, searching for his seat belt.

"Holy shit.... I'm upside down."

"Easy now" A man pulled Basta from the crumpled vehicle.

"OOF!" Basta was too disoriented to feel embarrassed by being carried by another man.

"We'll take you to town."

"Fernie?" He slurred, touching a gash on his upper arm.

"Yes! We'll take you to Fernie. They have a nice little hospital."

"Mom! Dad! Is he OK?"

"Sarah, don't snoop!"

"Whoa! He's bleeding!"

"Anya! Shh!"

"Huh?" Basta blinked as someone eased him into a warm vehicle.

"You can sit here, in between Sarah and Anya."

"Who?" Basta rubbed his head, smearing blood on his cheek.

"Easy now. My name is Benoit, this is my wife Meg. We're taking you to a hospital."

"Oh...the holiday inn will be fine." He groaned and put a hand to his bleeding arm.

"I don't think so. Say, what's your name young man?"

"Er, Basta." He frowned when one of the girls he was sitting next to, Anya, put a cookie on the knee of his black skinny jeans. "Thanks?"

"Anya! Leave Basta alone, please."

"Yeah, Anya" Sarah bulged her eyes at her younger sister. _That's right, Anya. No cookies. I am going to throw up if I eat that... _Basta made a face as his stomach lurched.

"We saw you roll and...gee, I'm sure happy you're alright!"

"Thanks" Basta stiffened when the sound of a crying Baby broke the gentle lull of the car.

"We were just on our way to Fernie for Christmas"

"Yeah!" Anya grinned, her little blond braids whipping around as she swung her head towards him.

"Girls, please leave this poor young man alone! He's just been in a horrible car accident!" The mother sounded very upset.

"is your arm OK?" Asked the one named Sarah. She looked slightly older than Anya, by two or three years maybe.

"My arm will be fine." Basta had been ignoring the pain in his bicep.

"So, Basta, should we take you to the hospital?"

"No!" Basta felt stressed; he had no health care card... there's no way he'd be able to go to a hospital. Technically... he didn't exist. "I, er, forgot my health care card in Italy."

"ITALY?" Cried Anya in excitement. "You live in Italy?"

"Uh, yeah."

"AMAZING!" Meg turned around in her seat and smiled. "Whereabouts?"

"Sicily." Basta raised his eyebrow. _Fucking Canucks. _

"Really? I heard Sicily is very dangerous."

"Ye, it its."

"Wooow." Sarah stared at him, mesmerised, as if he was a strange species. It didn't help that he smelled delicious; the girls couldn't stop glomming onto him.

" Ye, so um, I don't know where I'm going. Can you please drop me off at an inn?"

"Sure thing." Benoit steered into the parking lot of a Holiday Inn. It was dark outside, and the lights from the mountain town blinked sleepily.

"Hey, I'll walk you into the lobby, just in case."

"That's really unnecessary-"

"I insist." Benoit lowered his voice to a firm 'man tone'. Basta knew from his experiences with Capricorn that if someone insists... they mean it.

"Alright." Basta smushed his thin lips together. _Fine. Get involved with my twisted life! Drag your daughters in too, why don't you! You're just going to love it. _When the SUV lurched to a stop, Basta squished by Anya's thin legs, and stumbled into the snow. To his embarrassment, he fell on his ass, right in front of the little blond girl. She giggled.

"Oh dear! Are you alright?" Meg's expression changed to one of concern. _You would have been a real hottie back in the day _Thought Basta, brushing the snow off the ass of his black jeans.

"Ye ye just fine!" Basta snapped impatiently.

"Come on" Benoit led the way into the Inn. "So how old are you, Basta?"

"Uh, 26." He rubbed his aching forehead.

"Ah. So I suppose you're down here to ski?"

"No, actually, I'm not." Basta ran his fingers along his studded belt.

"Really? I'm genuinely surprised." Basta decided to ignore Benoit's comment. "So you live in Italy. Are you originally from England?" Benoit kicked the snow off his Sorrels.

"Uh, yeah."

"Really?"

"North West." Basta nodded.

"So that would explain the bit of Scottish in your accent?"

"Mhm." _You're really starting to piss me off now, doc. _

"Can I help you?" The clerk at the counter smiled.

"Ye, I need to stay here." Basta reached for his back pocket, but found his wallet wasn't there. "Oh shit... my wallet.... oh FUCK!" The clerk and Benoit jumped. "It's in my bag!"

"In your car?" Asked Benoit, concern etched on his face.

"Ye. Oh man... this is bad."

"Well lets take you back to the car and get your stuff."

"I can walk."

"Nonsense! We'll drive you. It's only a few minutes away anyways."

"Alright, if you insist."

"Ok, young man, lets go." Basta followed Benoit into the SUV again.

"Couldn't get a room?" Asked Meg in worry.

"Basta's bag is in his car." Benoit pulled out of parking lot, back onto the highway.

"Oh no!" Meg covered her mouth.

"Thank you folks for driving me around."

"I like the way he talks" giggled Anya.

"Basta is from Northern England, girls"

"I thought he was from Italy?"

"Ye, but I was born in England." Basta groaned in his throat.

"Oh no! I wonder what's going on" Meg motioned to the highway men standing in front of their car. Benoit rolled down his window.

"How can I help you?" Basta shivered as the cold air entered the vehicle.

"Highway's closed. Road conditions are too severe. Sorry for any inconveniences."

"Alright, thanks." Benoit turned his vehicle around, and zoomed back to the town of Fernie.

"Great" muttered Basta, frustration setting his jaw in a strong line.

"You have no where to stay! Oh no!"

"Hey mom, maybe Basta could stay with us?"

"Anya! Shh, this is Christmas."

"Benoit?" Meg turned to her husband.

"Well I don't see why not..."

"Basta gets to stay with us for Christmas!"

"Oh dear god."

The Condo on the side of the ski hill. It was a cozy timber style home. Meg turned on all the lights, while Benoit and his daughters dragged in luggage.

"You can sit here, dear" Meg led Basta down some stairs to a spare bedroom.

"Thanks" Basta flicked on the lights and twisted his mouth. There was a bunk bed, double on bottom, single on top.

"Sorry it's not real mature" Meg fluffed up a pillow and pulled back the comforter.

"It's alright. Hopefully I'll get out of here soon." Basta winced when pain shot through his arm.

"How is your arm?"

"Fine."

"Alright, well will you want to have dinner with us?"

"I'm not hungry, actually." Basta put a hand to his flat stomach.

"Alright. Well make yourself at home!" Meg smiled sweetly, then leaved the room.

"So help me god." Basta to the bathroom. He peered at his reflexion and groaned. Blood Was smeared across his cheek and forehead, some dry blood coming from his nose. His gorgeous green eyes looked dull, and his skin was pale. "Congratulations, ass hole. You look like shit." He ran the water in the sink, and splashed his face.

He had just relaxed on the bed when there was a knock at the door.

"Ye?"

"We have something for you" it was the little girls. Anya and Sarah. The door creaked open, and the two girls walked in, wearing pyjamas and holding a mug. "We brought some coffee."

"Thanks" Basta's mouth watered at the thought of coffee. He accepted the mug with a smirk on his face.

"Are you comfortable?" Asked Sarah, running her fingers through her light blond hair. Her green eyes twinkled.

"Ye, its good."

"Alright." She rocked back and forth, studying Basta without stop. He took a huge sip of the hot drink and closed his eyes.

"How is your arm" Asked Anya sweetly, not taking her eyes off the bloody gash on his right arm.

"Fine."

"Are you excited for Christmas?"

"Uhh?"

"Anya! Shh" Sarah bulged her eyes again.

"I'm just asking."

"Maybe you girls should go to bed?"

"Yes. Come on Anya." Basta watched as the skinny girls scuttled out of his room, looking over their shoulders as they left. _Wonderful _he thought, snuggling onto the bed with his steaming coffee. _Little kids. My favourite. _

Basta awoke to yelling. _Where the hell am I? _He rose frantically, but as the pain in his arm came back, he remembered the night's events. Why were they yelling? Basta made his way upstairs, limping slightly as he body ached from yesterday's accident. He walked to the Condo's main floor, where the family was milling about.

"Basta! Welcome!" Meg opened her arms... a signal for a hug? Basta tentatively allowed her to wrap him up and rock him from side to side. She smelled like an American perfume... Victoria's secret shit.

"Um, morning."

"Feeling alright?"

"Stiff" he muttered, eyeing the piles of fruit on the table.

"Are you hungry?"

"Ye."

"Well help yourself to anything! We have plenty of food."

"Thanks, Meg." Basta limped to the table, where he scooped piles of chopped kiwi, nectarines, berries, apples and banana. Benoit greeted him with a smile, and offered coffee. "Black" said Basta, through a mouthful of food. Benoit poured it straight out of the pot.

"The fruit's probably no good compared to the fresh stuff you eat."

"I don't eat a whole lot, so....it doesn't matter to me." Benoit chuckled.

"What do you mean you don't eat?"

"Duno. Don't eat a whole lot of food."

"Well that would explain why you're thin as a rake" giggled Meg, sitting down across from him.

"I guess" A smile appeared, a very tiny, involuntary, little smile. But it was broken when the bickering of Sarah and Anya became audible.

"What are they fighting about anyways?" Asked Meg, standing.

"Who knows" Benoit grumbled. "GIRLS! BEHAVE!" The sound of four feet thumping down the carpeted stairs made everybody crane their heads. Anya and Sarah galloped down, full force.

"ANYA IS BEING STUPID!"

"NO I'M NOT!"

"Girls! Behave! We have a guest!" Benoit's face flushed red. They shut up right away.

"Please, girls." Meg mouthed the word please a second time.

Basta stayed quiet, but a chuckle burned in his throat.

"Well girls, we have lots of work to do today" Benoit grinned.

"A tree?" Asked Sarah with a grin.

"Yes, we get to pick out a tree." Basta sipped his coffee nonchalantly and snickered at the mental image of a family sitting around a dead tree. "Maybe Basta can help us bring one in?" He nearly choked on coffee.

"You want me to drag a dead tree into the house with you?" He looked into the faces of the family that had done so much for him. A squirm of awkwardness came into him. "I mean... I'd be more than happy to help you drag a **tree **into your **house**." He rolled his eyes behind his mug.

"Oh Benoit, don't make Basta do any physical work! He was just in a car accident for god's sake!" Meg raised an eyebrow at her husband. "Basta, you don't need to go out there and drag heavy objects around. But if you could please babysit Rosie for me..."

"Rosie?" Basta raised his eyebrows in question.

"My daughter." Then he remembered: when he got into the car he heard the sound of a baby. Lovely.

"Um, I don't have much experience with children..."

"Oh it's really quite simple, and you'll have Sarah to help you."

"Um...ok?"

"Thank you so much!"

It was well past noon when Meg, Benoit and Anya left the house to find a Christmas tree. Sarah and Basta stayed in the condo, looking after Rosie,

"What do you do for a living, Basta?" Sarah was sitting beside him on the sofa.

"Um...I'm uh, in..." Basta racked his brain. _Come on Basta! Cook up a lie! You've never had a problem with this before! _"I'm a mechanic." _Smooth, you Bastard! You don't know the first thing about cars! _

"Cool!"

"Not really."

"Oh. I thought so." Sarah twirled her thumbs and stared straight ahead. "Rosie is crying."

"So I can hear."

"I have to go to the bathroom. Be right back." Sarah sprang to her feet and bolted upstairs.

"SARAH WAIT!" Basta cried out. "I don't know anything about babies!" The little girl continued to wail, so Basta tentatively made his way to the room where she was sleeping. "Rosie" he said softly, his teeth chattering from nerves. "Ok, baby..." He inched over to the crib, where the baby girl screamed. He cautiously picked her up, and rested her cheek against his shoulder. Almost instantly she stopped crying. "That's right." He paced circles in the bedroom, patting Rosie's back and whispering softly.

The family returned with a small spruce tree. Basta carried a dozing Rosie into the living room, much to Meg's glee.

"Oh isn't that cute!" She cooed, smiling broadly at Basta. "She sure likes you!"

"Yeah?" Basta felt a half smirk come onto his face. He wouldn't admit out loud, but deep down inside he liked the little girl sleeping on his chest. No one ever felt at ease around him....ever, so Rosie's sleeping little body gave him a sense of comfort and...love.

"Ready to decorate the tree, girls?"


	3. The Crack Dealer

The word 'groceries' was innocent. And, though he had been unable to do one of the biggest things to rob one of their innocence, he was not, under any circumstance, "innocent".

But he went grocery shopping anyways. But he did not enjoy it.

Basta walked up and down the isles of the local grocery store, holding a crumpled list in his hands.

"can I help you?" Basta looked up, startled, and found himself face to face with a soft looking teenager with golden hair and a broad smile.

"Err maybe." The young man scuffed the linoleum floor with the toe of his sneaker. His eyes wandered over the apron tied around the girl's waist, then up to her bust, where a name tag was pinned. _**Lynn. **_

"What are you looking for?"

"Umm" Basta scanned the list again. "Juice" Lynn's smile didn't fade.

"Follow me." He obeyed, and trailed behind the girl to the back refrigerator, where juice carton after juice carton after juice carton were arranged.

"Thanks"

"It was nothing." Lynn looked as if she wanted to stay longer, but when Basta turned his attention to the wall of drinks, she left. _She's probably like, 16 anyways _he thought, exhaling deeply. He put a carton of OJ under his arm, and re-glanced at the list.

As he made his way towards the bakery, a young man with dark hair and piercings caught Basta's eye. An idea came to him. Basta approached the punker, and got his attention.

"Do you know where i can get some-"

"Junk?" The man caught on right away. Basta wasn't bothered by the metal pierced through the man's mouth, nose, ears and eyebrow.

"Ye"

"What kinda shit you looking for?" He smelled like smoke.

"Crack" Basta nibbled his lip. In reality, he hated the stuff. But if it meant getting him home faster...

"At the back of the cinema" said the punker, pretending to be interested in muffins.

"Naw, who deals this shit?"

"You're looking for Thornton, then." The guy shrugged. "Lived up at the ski hill, with all the nice houses."

"Thanks" Basta walked away, as if the conversation never happened.

X

"Thank you for buying the groceries, Basta." Meg smiled and began to unload the bags the second he set them down.

"No problem" he said through grit teeth. He was already missing Italy. Missing the sun. Missing the gravel parking lot with the glinting cars. The purple hazy sky. The smells. The sounds. Even the goddamn pigeons!

"Benoit will be in soon, he was just out with the girls."

"Oh." Basta had nothing more to say to the lady. He just wanted to find this Thornton character. Rosie cried.

"Oh, let me get the baby" Meg disappeared around the corner. Basta was left alone with the begrudged groceries. Just then, the phone rang. "YOU CAN GET IT!" Called Meg from the other room. _Ok, now this is just fucking weird! _Basta picked up the phone, so completely pissed off. As he looked at the phone, though, he nearly had a fit when he saw the Caller ID: B Thornton.

"Hai?"

"Hello? Who is this?" Basta's jaw dropped; it was Benoit on the phone!

"Its Basta. Meg told me to pick up the phone."

"Oh, hi Basta. Could you please put Meg on?" Basta nodded, unaware that Benoit couldn't see that. He brought the phone to Meg, already planning that man's assassination.

X

When Benoit opened the front door, Anya by his side, Basta felt his throat tighten. _I can't kill this man... DAMN BASTA! You're getting soft... you must have bonked your head. _The muscle under his right eye twitched.

Then the unexpected happened. Anya came over to Basta, wrapped her arms around his waist in a hug, her face pressed against his belt buckle.

**A/N:**

**Hi guys! Wow... its been a while, eh? Long time no updates. And i apologize for that. I will try to FINISH the other stories. Because i noticed an uncool trend in my stories: unfinished-ness. **

**My website www . freewebs . com / agent-oo8 (link enclosed in my profile under "homepage") is currently getting massive updates and a new look. If your favourite stories enclude "Its called a crush, Hot fuss, or Pins and Needles, i recommend you go to my site. I have separate pages for those stories. If you leave a review you can feel free to recommend a page for the site. Anyways, peace out. **


	4. Stolen

**A/N: Something really horrible happens in this chapter... if you're sensitive to violence and sexual stuff, i advise skippin' that part. **

Basta walked through the Sicily airport, holding a water bottle in one hand, and a small duffle bag in the other. His jaw felt tight and sore- he'd spent the entire flight fighting nausea. He did not like flying... one bit. During takeoff, he grasped the armrests until he was white knuckled and no color remained in his face. He had kept his seatbelt done up so tight around his skinny hips that he still had purple marks on his skin.

His black shoes padded over the shiny white tile floor, which held his reflection on its glossy surface. He walked under the red flags, but the escalators and duty-free shops.

_Grazi Dio _he thought, the smell of Panini reaching him. _Sono a casa_. I'm home.

He caught the bus, taking him to the parking lot where his car was basking in the hot sun, its silver surface glinting in the light. He burst through the bus doors, embracing the ridiculous heat. As he unlocked the door and climbed inside, though, a voice in the back of his head nagged him... _You didn't kill that man like you were supposed to. You disobeyed your boss... your job isn't done. _But he ignored it best he could, adding to himself that it was Kinje that practically sent him there, to Canada.

"I don't take orders from people like that" he thought furiously. He swerved out of the parking lot, eager to get home. Though he had a long drive ahead of him, he was perfectly happy to be back in Italy. It was only early in the morning, and already the sun was high and hot. Unlike that cursed Canada... to think, that a little more than 14 hours ago, he was thigh deep in snow. And the Canadians loved their snow... 2 year olds to 60 year old slid across it on boards they called toboggans, skis and snowboards. _I'll take the heat, thank you. _The Canadians were crazy. Basta briefly recalled seeing a man using the snow bank on his balcony to cool his beer.

X

When Basta arrived back at Capricorn's village, the sky was black, faintly illuminated by a weak moon and dwindling stars. He pulled his car into its usual parking space, and greeted one of the black jackets with a high-five.

"Back from igloo land?" He asked, smiling and ugly grin. Basta nodded, then Anya and Sarah's faces flashed through his mind. He shook his head, to rid himself of the thoughts. The gravel crunched under Basta's shoes as he made his way down to the crumbling village, nestled in the hills.

X

Noon. Basta's eyes remained fixed on the green digital numbers on his bedside clock. 12:00. _ I am so late.. _The man dragged himself out of bed, with little energy. He was wearing his black boxers and a grey long sleeved tee shirt. He looked in the mirror he had on the wall, and groaned. His hair, which was naturally a very dark brown, stuck up wildly on one side, and covered an eye on the other. Under his eyes were puffy and purple, and his cheeks were flushed a little too pink. Meg said that he was frost bitten. The man moaned and pulled off his clothes in front of his reflection. Before he shrugged into his white button up, he made a quick glance at the faint six pack fading away from his abs. Ever since November he'd been very depressed, stopped working as hard, and not taking care of himself.

Once he was dressed, he sluggishly made his way outside, putting on his gold wire framed aviators to protect his stunning green eyes from the hot Italian sun. His mouth parted in slight contempt or perhaps disgust. He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket, snapped the orange lighter, and lit the end of the white stick. _To Capricorn's house we go _he thought, his stomach churning.

X

"It's called _Jetlag _Basta, and I figured you'd come down with it. " Capricorn sat in his arm chair, stroking his chin. "But I am proud of you for completing your job so fast." Basta allowed his lips to twitch in a smile of self satisfaction.

"Is Kinje still here, sir?"

"Kinje is dead." Silence hung in the air briefly, Basta's head spun. "We found her on the street. Naked. Beaten to death."

"Oh" Basta's voice sounded like a teenager's at that moment. _Ooohh reeeeally? _

"Oh well" Capricorn shrugged. "I figured it was only a matter of time. It's no bother. We've hired a few other men, real good at their job. They've replaced Kinje well" Then he looked at his nails. Scrutinized them, actually. That was one of the things Basta hated about his boss; his girly habit of obsessing over his nails. Though Basta himself took time to clean under them with the blade of his knife, he didn't worry too much about hang nails or whatever the hell they were called. _Don't look at my goddamn hands. _"You didn't fancy her, did you?" He asked, his voice unchanging.

"No" Basta's voice was a scoff.

"Alright. You may do as you wish today, my boy." Then Capricorn waved him away, as if sick of his presence. Basta spun on his heel and left, grateful to feel the kiss of the sun on his sore cheeks.

As Basta made his way to the river bank, he thought of Kinje. What a satisfactory death she'd met. Raped. Beaten. Perfect. He unbuttoned his white shirt, slid out of it, then kicked off his shoes, socks and pants. The damp dirt felt cool against his bare feet. With a sigh, Basta looked at his arms. Those awful arms of his. Though toned and strong, they were covered with faint burn scars, and horizontal pink lines on the wrists. _You are one ugly mother fucker _He thought, sliding his hands into his boxers. His skin was warm and the cotton fabric was soft against his own hands. He sighed slightly, wishing it were a woman's hands instead, and then pushed the boxers down to his ankles.

The water was cool and inviting. Basta slid through the river as fast as a fish. As he surfaced, his hair plastered to his face and water streamed off his skin. His feet nestled amongst the chilly pebbles, and the river whooshed around his body. _What a perfect day. _

He had fallen asleep on the river bank. When he awoke, night had already fallen. He finished dressing, pulling on his shirt, but didn't bother with his jacket. He flung it over his arm and trudged up the hill to the village. He stomach grumbled, demanding fuel. The streets were quiet and empty, as if not a soul existed. Basta decided to take a short-cut through a long alley, so he could get to his house- and the food- faster. On his way through, though, he heard something move. Thinking it was just a cat, Basta took no notice. He just walked on, sighing in content to himself. Then a figure appeared, just a silhouette in the moonlight, taking stance at the end of the alley. No threat. But something moved behind him. He looked over his shoulder, only to meet a fist in his face.

"OW!" he cried, his hands flying up to his nose, which oozed warm blood. "What was that for?" Someone kicked him in the back. Basta fell onto his knees, confused and angry. Before he could muster much of another word, though, his arms were grabbed and shoved behind his back. Someone used his jacket to bind them together. "WHAT THE FUCK!" he roared before a scratchy cloth was shoved into his mouth. Duct tape was wrapped around his lips, keeping the cloth in place. He could no longer scream. He threw his head about wildly, trying to see his attackers. He had two at his arms, and another one was standing by. The one that had gagged him. _Leave me alone! _He screamed in his mind. _I'm tired and hungry! Leave me alone! _Then the unthinkable happened. With the two men on either of his side holding his arms out straight and tight, the other man reached around Basta's waist, and groped harshly over his belt buckle. _FUCK! _Was the only word he could truly think of at that moment. To his horror, tears threatened to come. Basta squished up his eyes, a deep moan turned into a sob, muffled by the gag. He pants were jerked down, along with his boxers. The men laughed cruelly on either of his sides. One strong hand was pressed on his back, and with the clinking of metal, Basta figured the other one was undoing the belt buckle on his attacker's pants. _NO! _He though, tears coming from his eyes now. He fought hard, but he was too exhausted and hungry to put up much of a fuss. He felt something against him, now, something he really didn't ever expect to feel. _Oh jeeze oh fuck no! NO! _He kicked his legs best he could, which earned him a couple knees to the face. He finally gave up hated himself for getting raped.... a hiccup turned into a snort since the gag was shoved so far down his throat. He needed to vomit.


	5. Break down

He didn't get out of bed. He lay still, under the covers, un moving, un blinking, just staring. Staring straight at the dresser and the mirror across from him. He could see his reflection if he shifted his gaze. He saw tousled dark hair; black rimmed eyes, blood shot and tired looking. His mouth was set grimly, the sides pulled down created dimples. The pink had left his cheeks, his complexion white and dull, except for the scrape on his jaw, where his face had been ground into the asphalt; and of course the bruise around his left eye. All he could think about was the pain in his back and how disgusted he felt. _I am dirty. Filthy and violated. Desecrated and weak. _Time didn't exist anymore There was only agony and his own faint heart beat.

"Oi! Basta! Get your ass outside!" Someone pounded on his front door. The man moaned- considered getting up- then disposed of the idea. He felt too weak and tired. He couldn't even find the energy to speak. "I'm comin' in" snapped the man outside. Basta stirred. There was a thump as the door whipped open. Boots tromped on the hardwood. Gar appeared in his bedroom. "Whats wrong with you?" He asked, his mouth twisting in disgust and confusion. "You look as if you've looked in the face of death itself!" Basta didn't utter a sound. "You're scarin me" said Gar, his eyebrows falling gravely. "I'm gonna get Capricorn..."

"No" managed Basta. His voice was hoarse and broken.

"I dunno Basta..." Gar looked hesitant.

"I'm Fine....going to shower... be out later....late night...." He spoke in broken sentences, his voice hardly audible.

"Whatever you say, friend." As Gar left, Basta felt struck. _Did Gar just call me his friend? _When he finally managed to swing his legs out of bed, pain shot up Basta's back. He moaned in pain and limped to his bathroom. As he ran the shower, Basta tenderly undressed, peeling off first his shirt, then his jeans, then, eventually, his blood stained boxers.

The water felt like warm, caressing hands over his tender, aching body. Its liquidy fingers warmed his skin and washed away blood. He sighed in a sort of relief. _Washing away the filth. Taking the rape away from my body. Too many things swirling down the drain between my naked feet. _He didn't bother with soap. When he was done with the shower, he stepped out and wrapped a towel over his body. He quickly rubbed it over his extremities, then walked to his bedroom, where he stepped into yellow boxers, black skinny jeans, socks, then his usual white shirt. He limped back to the bathroom, where he combed his hair back in front of the mirror.

X

Basta nearly vomited when he heard a mention of "The box".

"Oh please god, no! Fuck no!" He nearly collapsed onto his knees in the church, before the black jackets and his master. Silence hung in the room, all eyes on Basta. Someone coughed, breaking the silence. Capricorn, who stood beside the man, studied him curiously. He knelt down, so he was level with him.

"You're embarrassing me" hissed Capricorn. Basta nearly sobbed. His shoulders shook. His knees gave out. He fell on his face. The carpet smooshed into the scrape, irritating it. Basta coughed at the awful unwashed smell. "Pull yourself together!" hissed Capricorn again, taking a fistful of Basta's hair and pulling back his head. Basta whimpered and hiccoughed. "Rio!" Barked Capricorn. Basta briefly pondered the name... he'd never heard it before. Soon, a striking blond man appeared by Capricorn's side. He was tall, handsome, and had peculiar auburn eyes. "Take him away from here, knock some sense into him" spat Capricorn, shoving Basta at Rio's feet.

"Yes, boss." He had a young voice and a stable _Americano _accent. He took Basta's collar in his fist, hoisted him to his feet, and stood within his personal space.

"Fuck off" spat Basta, shoving the taller man in the chest. Something sharp stuck his face. He gasped, open mouthed, at Capricorn. His boss had just slapped his face.

"THATS ENOUGH!" Roared Capricorn, his voice echoing in the church. Everyone was very still, and Basta became very aware of every person standing open mouthed before him. "Take him away" he snarled to Rio. The blonde kicked Basta's legs out from under him, then grabbed his ankle. He began dragging him down the aisle, un-tucking his shirt, crinkling it up his back. Basta struggled and spat the entire way out side. When the doors were opened, hot Italian sunlight blinded him, the heat enveloped his already hot body.

"Letgo of me!" He snarled, his accent slurring the words together into one big British jumble. Rio said nothing, he just kept dragging Basta through the coarse cobbled roads, towards an ivy covered wall. Just then, Basta's heart nearly stopped and he became struck with paralyzing fear. _Holy fuck, it was Rio who raped me! _He was no longer able to kick or struggle, all he could do was listen to his own heart pounding in his rib cage. Rio hauled Basta to his feet, then shoved him against the wall. Basta made a muffled _Oof! _As he bonked his head. "What do you want" he said, on the brink of sobs, as he crushed the back of his head against the wall. He distorted his mouth, showing his teeth and pulling down on the corners- the perfect _"Tim Roth in Pain_" look.

"Whats your problem?" Snapped Rio, clenching his fists.

"I know what you did to me" growled Basta, his voice low and raw.

"Oh you remember now, do you?" Sneered Rio, a psychotic smile playing on his face.

"You bastard!" moaned Basta, lowering his hand to his thigh, to find his knife. Rio laughed.

"I know my parents" he hissed. "Isn't it _you _whose the bastard? Capricorns the closest thing you have to a relative, huh?" Rio got right in Basta's face. Close enough for the man to feel his hot breath in his own mouth. "And I bet he ass rapes you on a regular basis, you scrawny dog!" Basta punched. A good one, too. He nailed Rio right in the face, striking his nose. Back in the Inkworld, Basta referred to the nose as "the magic button". If you punch there, blood pours out, the opponent's eyes tear over, and it hurts like a bitch. Then you can take advantage of them and do whatever damage you like. And Basta did exactly that. He kicked Rio in the gut, punched his face once more ,then whipped out his knife. He held it against the man's fragile throat.

"Thanks a lot, Mother fucker" he hissed, pressing the cool blade into Rio's flesh. He was about to make his kill, slice the thin across the man's jugular, when he heard Gar yell his name.

"BASTA! BASTA WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" The man leaped at Basta, knocking him to the street. Basta landed with a painful thump. He yelled, swore, coughed, and groaned. Spittle came from his lips, and he watched as Rio darted down the street.

**Soooo Didja like it? See that pretty greenish button right below??? It says Review on it.... click it ;D you know you want to! ******


	6. High high high

The next morning, something unexpected arrived kicking and screaming in the back of Cockerels' car.

X

Basta stood nervously in the doorway of a black jacket's house. The black jacket, named Los, called him in. He handed Basta a needle with clear liquid inside. He said nothing, but turned on the radio. Rammstein boomed in the room. Basta groaned and unbuckled his belt. He slid it off his hips, and wrapped it around his bicep. He grunted as he pulled it tight, and let the music fill his body. With slightly trembling fingers, Basta took the needle off the table. He tapped the spot just below the crook of his arm, making his veins pop up. He squirted the needle, then stuck the silver spine into his vein. He let out a long, loud breath as he pumped the heroin into his system. The music throbbed in his ears and his body surged with the high.

_Es fließt durch meine Venen  
Es schläft in meinen Tränen  
Es läuft mir aus den Ohren  
Herz und Nieren sind Motoren_

X

Basta stumbled out of Los's house, in a daze. His ears pounded with a mix of Rammstein and something else... his body tingled and surged. ******He** tripped over his own feet and fell onto his knees in the street.

" scopi questa merda" he spat bitterly, clambering to his feet. He stumbled up the alley, towards the church, still holding his studded belt in his hand. He came through the doors, and stumbled down the isle. He didn't notice that no one paid attention to his entry. All the other black jackets were focussed on the woman at the Altar. Basta didn't see her until he was not but a foot away from her. He wrapped the belt around his neck, ran a hand through his messed up hair, and struggled to stay on his feet. "Who the _fuuuuck _are you?" He slurred at the lady in a navy dress with little red cherries printed on the fabric. She flinched a bit, and raised an eyebrow at Basta.

"Whats wrong with you, Basta?" Asked Capricorn. The man sounded exhausted.

"I dunno" slurred the young man, swaying on his feet. He eyeballed the woman standing before him, duct tape over her lips. Her skin was tanned, and her hair was the color of black coffee. It was styled in loose, silky curls, cut a little longer than jaw length. She seemed disgusted with Basta being before her, so she stuck out a leg, and pressed her white sandal against Basta's heaving chest. She gave a little push, sending the man over backwards.

**A/N: tsk tsk, Basta getting into drugs... would you please review? That would be much appreciated! (pssst ! For thoese of you who don't have a fanfction account, you can still review). ALSO, if you're a Basta fan, you can go to my website and check out the new webpage i've made (one for Dustfinger is in progress). It's titled "To Basta" (or something like that) on the navbar. Alrighty, thanks for reading and reviewing! Luv you all!**


	7. Arrested for Errands

Basta awoke with a pounding headache. He got out of bed with a groan. His hands were still a little but jittery from his injections earlier. He dressed with his eyes half closed, heaved a yawn, ran fingers through his hair, sat on the bed. His belly crinkled around the waist of his jeans. After a few moments of collection himself, Basta got to his feet again and walked into his bathroom. He looked in the mirror and groaned at his reflection. His eyes were surrounded by dark purple rims, which made his natural eyeliner appear darker. His green-blue eyes glowed eerily in the dim light. His hair, which was a slightly lighter coffee brown from the sunlight, brushed over his forehead in ragged bangs. There was even a pink scar snaking up his cheek, from his fight. The abrasion on his jaw was beginning to fade, but it was still itchy and irritated.

"Hey Basta! Capricorn has a job for you!"

_What now? _He thought, tearing his gaze away from his reflection. He walked to his front door, where a younger teenage boy was standing.

"What?" hissed Basta, grinding his head against the wall. The boy looked up at him in confusion, and then rambled on.

"Capricorn wants you to run some errands for him."

"Errands?"

"He wants you to go see him first. He's in his study." Basta put a hand to the boy's face and pushed him out of his way as he exited the house. The boy yelled a nasty Italian word at him, but Basta just flipped him off as he walked away.

Capricorn's house was cool and air-conditioned. Basta shivered a little and did up an extra button on his jacket. "Master?" He called into the interior of the house. A maid scuttled down the hallway, and greeted him with her head down.

"Come this way" she muttered. Basta's lip curled in contempt as he followed the small lady to Capricorn's study. He didn't bother to thank her as she let him in.

"Come in, Basta" was the man's deep voice. Basta obeyed, padding across the floor to his boss' desk.

"What is it you need?" He grumbled, massaging his temples with the pads of his fingers.

"I need you to purchase some things for me."

"Fine"

"My new lady has proven to be...a handful." A creepish grin peeled across Capricorn's aging face.

"Ahum."

"I'll need some more duct tape, and Tylenol. Oh! And lipstick. Bright red lipstick." Basta forced a cough, memorized the odd list, took the Euros from Capricorn, and left the house.

_What a bastard _thought Basta angrily. _Now he has me running sissy errands for him. What a joke. This is unbelievable. _He slammed his car door loudly, and gunned the engine. He sped out of the lot, and onto the highway.

When he pulled into a small village off the highway, along the coast, the anger of his stupid tasks began to ebb off. There were a few _Polizia _cars parked off outside a cafe. Basta ignored them as he trudged towards the Drug mart. The cool air-conditioning rescued him from the Italian heat. The owners behind the counter eyed the man suspiciously as he walked into their store. He ignored them, and scanned the shelves for the duct tape. He found it at the opposite end of the room. As he walked towards it, he noticed the owners nodding to each other. The man picked up the phone as he glared at Basta. _Fag _he thought angrily, picking up the silvery tape. _What now? Tylenol? _The old man behind the counter hung up the phone and whispered something to his wife. The lady nodded, and left the store. The door closed with a _SLAM _then the dinging of the bells. Basta gently ran his fingers over the little bottles of medication. There was Advil, Motrin, then finally in a red and white bottle, Tylenol. He put the thing in his hand, and as he began to walk towards the makeup isle, the door crashed open and several _Polizia _stumbled in. Basta froze in the isle as the men in blue ran full out towards him. The yelled at him, one held his hands firmly behind his back.

"HEY!" Snapped Basta, wincing slightly at the sudden jerk on his arms. The other cop, a young attractive brunette man, patted Basta's sides, pulled his switch out of his jacket pocket, then patted his legs, then surprisingly harshly felt his crotch. Basta's mouth hung open in pure shock. The officer barked something in his face, then instructed the one behind him to take him outside. Basta swore and jerked the whole way out of the store. _OOOHHH FUCK _he though as they shoved him into the car. _I'm in deep shit now. _The car sped out of the lot, towards the local police station.

**THANKS SO MUCH, those of you who review my story regularly. I appreciate it so much! It really motivates me to keep writing. I hope this chapter entertained you. Sorry its so short, though. For some reason I just can't write long chapters anymore. If you're reading this, you're probably a Basta fan. If thats so, please visit my website (link is called "homepage" on my profile). I have so many Basta related things! Your opinion is so greatly appreciated. Anyways, thanks for reading! :D **

**Looooove Isabeau **


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